Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-06-07
NILE. RHEA.
An Interesting Interview
With the ChaFmIBg
Actress.
FIRST AppeaFAses Il the Opera Hoass-
A LAFgs Audiences asd ; Fin-
iahed Performances.

Nile. Rasa. the Aeeo1pliseed French
artistic, Who, since Der hEst appearances
In America some four pears ago. has
won sueh fame By Der pFe-emiBert bis
tFionie abilities, reached this city on
Sunday evealsa from Portland and
took accommodation Al the Occidental.
A representative Of the PosI-IETELLG-
KscEs, upon calling a. her apartments
yesterday afternoon, was welcomed
with great eoFdislity and osbsEed In
With @ frank gsod-heaFtodnsas that
oo1Id bat pat the most difndsns
Of persons completely 81 bis
ease. Nile. Rhsa is an attractive
lady Of medium Insight, wsli-propor.
toned figure, and o grass that IL netiee
able because Of its natnralness. Ia fea-
lures she 10 distinctly French, the
piercing black eye, dark hair and En-.
pTessive o0un'enanee leaving no doubt
a. 10 her nationality. BEiliiaat 10 con-
versatiOD, Der elegance Of manner IL
quits fascinating. and the unassumsd
aFdoR and animation displayed Ia die
enssion gives zest and sparkle 30 the
subiset 81 hand, that IL positively
charming. Mile. Khea speaks With she
characteristic energy that distinguishes
all French people, showing q delightful
enthusiasm aud stvaeity, aad aosorn.
panies her remarks With q neEvoas dra-
matte action and mOvemeni that is e..
peeiaiIy pleasing and agreeable.
Upon expressing the evident Rratifioa-
ti0n " the peOple Of the Northwest az
her ventuFinR 50 far eut OF the usual
course, Mile. Rhea said.
bat | was very glad 10 come. I could
net return TO Paris without being able
10 say that had seen the whole Of your
great country. And I Rm - much
pleased With shat / have heheld. Such
beautiful scenery 81 you have; tt vas 90
enchanting sight from Portland, and
here u seems TO be even Rrander. The
people, too, have been very generous.
The FIRST NIGHT at Portland they we're q
little cold think; they became more
enihuaiastio, however, and on Saturday
evening yOu should have heard the APP
plause." Here MadamoiselIe olasped
her hands With energy, evidently recall.
ing her warm reception with much
pleasure.
''of what does your repertoire consist
% present."
II am nov playing In Camille 'Frou
FEou.' 'Pygmalion and GAiatea.' The
widow Fairy Fingers. and The
Country Girl OF course, l have others
Which are given only At intervals"
take II, then, that yOu prefer tragic
or htph emotional plays 10 comedy"
mo, do not. As matter Of fact
really enjoy playing bright comedy 10
annNf1W.s
Bot the people insist upon seeing me 10
the latter character, or ~ "Frou-FTou"
or "0aleteR," and what can do but re
spond 10 their wishesf"
what version Of Camille" do you
user
II read from what call my own YER
sion. That is, had the original text Of
Dumas translated after my owu idea, so
As 10 present the character as pearly as
possible Ia accordance with the authors
conception. Some Of the English adap
tationa which you bear are anFeosonizs-
BILE. They are 20 full OF unnatural, in
alpid sentiment, suoh ~ Dumas never
thoaRht Of, aud such as would be quite
foreign 10 q superb woman like Camille"
Upon being questioned As 90 whether
the audience would have an opportunity
OF sseinR that celebrated Queen of Holl.
and dress, concerning which so muck
had been written, the aotress replied:
Yes, shall wear IL this evening in
The fourth act. Usually use 10 in The
widow, as Ia Comtesse Dc Poitera, but
l notice that 10 has been announced
that i shall wear Il In Camille 90 I
90 not wish 20 occasion any disappoint-
mens, and consequently you will see II
tonight
lyon hold the art Of dressing az a
part Of your stage religion, do you
notf"
"Well, Am inclined 20 believe do.
Because | fail TO see how 90 artistic can
thorouEhly enter into the spisit OF the
play unless shs IL attiFed in a fashion
appropriate 10 the character. All Of nv
dresses have some Significance 10 me.
They are associated with certain char
aoteFs, and each dress represents in a
measure, portion OF the role In con-
neotion with which Il is always worn.
For this reason it will perhaps seem odd
TO me TO appear a. Camille in the
Queen OF Holland dress, a. | have al
ways DESIGNED II for the character Of Ia
Cemtess"
Anything. thea. whieh enables You
20 enter into the thought and spirit OF
the play or, in othSr words, 10 feel the
character yen essay. ysu hold 10 be
essential to conaplste performance %
Precisely"
Having been brought up 10 the
French school OF acting. presume You
maintain. With Coquelin, that however
much BY dress or acting you sink Your
own Individuality In the assumed part.
you must never lose CON mand OF YOUR.
selt-nsver forget that you are the
artistic ~
II think n. Coquelin has the correct
idea Of true dramatic art. livery artist.
when on the stage. has tive personals
ties--tbe actor and the character the
actor 10 impeFsonating; and the actor,
or first personality, must ever ksep
vigilant watch over the second person
Atty or character that IL being assumed,
The idea that an artist can
lose all self consciousness and
become utterly wrapped up in TIE
role and forget himself. OF herself,
u an erroneous one, aud were an actress
90 permit herself 10 be carried away or
sink herself In the character and be
come unconscious of self, 10 waald re
suit disastrously -ehe woud forget her
ltnes. The perfection Of art, ID seems
20 ne, IL 30 retain complete command
and control Of ones self. and al the
same time portray the sssumea part
with nataraluess that 10 80 artistic as
90 utterly conceal and pat oat Of sight
the personality Of the art at. Tbs il
What the Freach believe, and the seiors
or ACTRESSES Who DO IL the most sktl
fully, smoothly and aftisiicaliy are re-
Gardea as the sreatesi masters ia their
profession, New, Ter myself. feel, 20
a certain extent, the parts 10 xhtch
appear, but l never forget that ! am
acting. | cry aud shed good genuine
tears, hnt they dou't eaue from toe
heart. ID 10 net because am oppressed
With sorrow and grief that shed then,
bat because Inv ar enahlss ire 90 ap-
pFeeiaIc the sentiment Of the plAy and
20 enter into the spirli % o."
have you anything new ia prepArA.
tion In che MISTER of playsF'
yes, ! hcpe econ 90 ufesani a res
nedy from the French Witch Is ~
great merit ard certain % be received
with fsvaF. Ia sdiltior. I thiak ~
bringing cut ''S,hoo; for SeandAl. .
with handsome sceDsFy. besatifal So,
tenn ard ths strongest company 90 b
c6tzintd